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The National Association for College Admission Counseling routinely conducts member surveys to determine what factors are most important in admission review.
The 2023 results are indicative of a profession in flux, driven by multiple factors that have impacted the state of secondary and higher education over the past few years.
The most obvious change is in the importance of standardized test scores, aka SAT and ACT, which have dropped significantly in this new era of test-optional admission. At the same time "positive character attributes," and the personal insight shared in recommendations, writing, and demonstration of interest in attending a particular college are rising in importance.
What does this mean, in brief? Sense of "fit" with the institution and its residential community is more important than ever, and the story told in a transcript (course choice over time, appropriateness of rigor, trends in grades) is still the most important element in determining college readiness. Still, there are limitations in the traditional transcript as we know it, and the concepts of "rigor" and 4.0 or 100 point grading scales will continue to be assessed in more nuanced ways, as education moves solidly into the 21st century. (If you've never seen the late Sir Ken Robinson's talk on the outdatedness of our general education models, watch now.)
Here are a couple of related recent articles:
Meanwhile, it's worth noting some creative shifts in admission practice in light of these priorities and the changing landscape.
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